Striker device



J. SKLAW E-TAL STRIKERDEVICE Oct. 25, 1960 Filed Jan. 13, 1958 YIIIIIIIIIII'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIL INVENTORS. JACOd SKA/1 W BY JOJ'fi/ J JM/IV/ MM, *zfizw 4 7' ram/in:

STRIKER DEVICE Filed Jan. 13, 1958, so. No. 708,548 4 Claims c1. 292-34115 The invention relates to ,a striker device, and more particularly to a striker device used in a door latch.

Heretofore striker devices have been provided which have been complex in form and construction increasing the cost of their manufacture and reducing the efiiciency of their operation.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide a new and improved striker device of simplified construction and increased operational efiiciency.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a new and improved striker device particularly adapted for use in a door latch which is highly reliable and durable in construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved striker device which is easily manufactured and assembled, and is low in cost.

The above objects are achieved by providing the striker device comprising a casing having a chamber extending through the top and bottom of the casing and providing a pair of opposite guide means with substantially flat unobstructed inner surfaces. A rod element of the device is received within the chamber of the casing with its ends positioned within the guide means for movement between a first position proximate the top of the casing and the second position towards the bottom of the casing. A base plate is provided which encloses the chamber at the bottom of the casing. A pair of coil spring means is each received within and along one of the guide means of the casing for urging the rod element towards its first position proximate the top of the casing. The top end of each of the spring elements is attached to a respective end of the rod element. For this purpose the rod element is provided with an annular groove at each of its ends andthe ends of the spring means are provided with loops which are respectively received within and around the grooves of the rod element. 'In this manner an end of each of the spring means is respectively attached to an end of the rod element without restricting the rotation of the rod element about its axis. The other ends of the coil spring means form a substantially flat ring bearing against the base plate for maintaining the position of each of the spring means within and along the respective guide means of the casing. It is noted that the planes of the loops of the spring means are each substantially perpendicular to the axis of the rod element and parallel to the axis of its respective coil spring means. The ends of the rod element are also tapered in the end direction for allowing the motion of the rod element about its axis and between its first and second positions without its ends binding within the guide means of the casing.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following detailed description of the invention is read in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective exploded view of the striker device embodying invention,

as: Pm

2,957,721 Patented Oct. 25, 1960 Figure 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 1, V

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 shows the striker device in a door latch installation and,

Figure 6 is an enlarged view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

The figures disclose a striker device 10 comprising a casing 12 having a substantially rectangular chamber 14 extending through the top 16 and bottom 18 thereofi. The chamber 14 is substantially rectangular so that the inside walls have substantially flat unobstructed surfaces. The opening 16 at the top of the casing 12 extends proximately to the bottom of the casing 18 at its intermediate region 22, forming the pair of oppositely positioned guide means 24, 26. The bottom of the casing 12 is provided with an extending mounting ledge 28 with openings 30, 32 to receive securing means,

A striker rod element 34 is received within the chamber :14 of the casing 12. When positioned within the casing 12 the central portion 36 of the rod element 34 is externally exposed by extending through the opening 16 at the top of the casing 12, while the ends 38 and 40 of the rod element 34 are respectively received within the guide means 24 and 26.

Each of the ends of the rod element 34 is provided with an annular groove 42, 44. The extremities 46, 48 of the ends 38, 40 of the rod element 34 have a taper in the end direction to prevent binding within the guide means 24, 26 of the casing 12.

A pair of spring coil elements 50 and 52 each has its upper end formed into a loop 54 which lies within a plane which is substantially parallel to the axis of its respective spring means 50, 52. The loops 54 of the spring means 50, 52 are respectively received within and around the grooves 42, 44 in the ends 38 and 40 of the rod element 34. It is noted that this attachment of the spring means 50, 52 with the rod element 34 does not inhibit the rotation of the element 34 about its axis because of the sliding contact provided by the attachment. The bottom of each of the coil spring means 50, 52 forms a substantially flat ring 56 as an integral part thereof.

When the rod element 34 is positioned within the chamber 14 of the casing 12 with the coil spring means 50 and 56 secured therewith, the coil spring means 50, 56 are also respectively received within the guide means 24 and 26 of the casing 12, the bottom .ends or rings 56 of the spring means 50, 52 extending from the chamber 14 through the base 18 of the casing 12.

A flat substantially rectangular base plate 58 is received over the bottom surface 60 of the casing 12 for enclosing the bottom opening of its chamber 14 and enclosing and retaining the rod element 34 and its spring means 50, 52 within the chamber 14. The bottom surface 60 of the casing 12 is provided with a pair of studs 62 which are received through aligned openings 64 of the base plate 58. The studs 62 are deformed for permanently securing the base plate 58 along the bottom surface 60 of the casing 12.

With the base plate 58 secured in position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the spring means 50, 52 are partially compressed and urge the rod element 34 into its uppermost position engaging the top retaining portions 66, 68 respectively of the guide means 24, 26. It is also noted that the bottom rings 56 of the spring means 50, 52 bear against the flat inner surface of the base plate 58 thereby vertically positioning and retaining the spring means 50, 52 within the guide means 24, 26 of the casing 12. The substantially vertical positions of the spring means 50, 52 are maintained during displacement of the rod element 34 towards the base plate 58 against the action of the spring means 50, 52'.

It is further noted that this is achieved without providing a special retainer or chamber for the spring means 50, 52 so that the ends 38, 40 within the guide means of handles 70, 72 mounted on opposite sides of the door 74 and rotatable about their common axis for releasing the latch. The handle 72 is provided with a nose portion 74 having a cam surface 76 and a retaining surface 78. A striker device 10 is mounted on the door frame 79 for engaging the retaining surface 78 of the handle 72 when the door 74 is closed. Mounting may be accomplished by use of screws 80 which extend through the openings 30, 32 of the casing 12 and the aligned openings 59, 61 of the base plate 58.

When the door 74 is open and is being closed, the cam surface 76 of the handle 72 first engages the central portion 36 of the rod element 34 forcing it to move towards the base plate 58 of the device 10. The rod element 34 is sufficiently depressed to allow the nose 74 of the handle 72 to pass beyond the rod element 34. This causes the rod element 34 to lose contact with the camming surface 76 of the handle 72 and allows it to return to its position proximate the top retaining portion 66, 68 of the guide means 24, 26. At this time the rod element 34 is in engagement with the retaining surface 78 of the handle 72 preventing the opening of the door 74 until the latch is released.

The latch is released by rotating the handle 72, which may also be accomplished by actuating the handle 70, so that the retaining surface 78 of the nose 74 of the handle 72 swings away from and loses contact with the rod element 34 of the striker device 10.

A simplicity of the striker device 10 provides an efficient device which may readily be manufactured and assembled with minimum difficulty and at low cost. The nature of the device 10 also makes it highly reliable and durable in operation.

While this invention has been described and illustrated with reference to a specific embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of various modifications and applications, not departing essentially from the spirit thereof, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A striker device comprising a casing having a chamber extending through the top and bottom of said casing and providing a pair of opposite guide means with substantially flat unobstructed inner surfaces, a rod element received within the chamber of said casing with its ends positioned within the guide means of said casing for movement of said clement between a first position proximate the top of said casing and a second position toward the bottom of said casing, a base plate enclosing the chamber at the bottom of said casing, and a pair of coil spring means within the guide means of said casing for urging said rod element toward its first position, the top end of each of said spring means being attached to a respective end of said rod element; and the bottom end of each of said coil spring means forming a substantially flat ring bearing against said base plate for maintaining the position of each said spring means within and along its respective guide means of said casing.

2. The striker device of claim 1 in which each of the ends of said rod element is provided with an annular groove and the ends of said spring means proximate the ends of said rod are provided with a loop, the loops of said spring elements being respectively received within and around the grooves of said rod element for rotatably attaching the ends of said spring means with the ends of said rod element.

3. The striker device of claim 2 in which the planes of the loops of said spring means are each substantially perpendicular to the axis of said rod element and parallel to the axis of its respective coil spring means, and each of the ends of said rod element is tapered toward the end direction.

4. In a striker device, a rod element for being received in a striker casing, each of the ends of said rod element being provided with an annular groove, and a pair of coil spring means, the ends of each of said spring means being provided with a loop respectively received within and around the grooves of said rod element for rotatably attaching the ends of said spring means with the ends of said rod element; in which the planes of the loops of said spring means is each substantially perpendicular to the axis of said rod element and parallel to the axis of its respective coil spring means, and each of the ends of said rod element is tapered toward the end direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,335,027 Popovich Mar. 30, 1920 2,583,391 Quinn Ian. 22, 1952 2,721,754 Loeb Oct. 25, 1955 2,790,668 Friedman et a1 Apr. 30, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 561,248 Germany Sept. 3.0, 1930 

